The Air That I Breathe
by Jadeling
Summary: The five times Dana Tan could/should have walked away from Terry McGinnis; and the one time he almost let her.
1. Age 12

_Disclaimer: I don't own **Batman Beyond **or any of the characters from that series. They are the property of DC comics and WB animation, Bob Kane is the original creator of Batman and Bruce Wayne. I'm not making any money off of this work; I write for the enjoyment of others and for myself._

_Author's Notes: I got tired of trying to find complete Dana/Terry fans, so my muse, Phoenix, decided to get the bright idea of allowing a bunch of Dana/Terry plot bunnies loose in my room instead of helping me finish my other fics. This fic takes place of the span of 10 years all through Dana's point of view. I think the summary is pretty much explains the idea behind this fic._

_**The Air That I Breathe**  
_

Be My Valentine.

It's Valentine's Day in Gotham City and Dana Tan walks out of her 3rd period class to her locker before lunch. She had already received a couple of electronic valentines from her friends like Blade and Chelsea and would probably receive more as the day went by, so it surprises her to find an envelope drop out of her locker when she opens it. Frowning a little she picks up the item and opens it to reveal a handmade heart created from dark red paper and written with a white pen, "You are the Air that I Breathe." She blinks thinking that someone placed the odd valentine in her locker by mistake, but no, her name is printed nicely on the front of the envelope. Dana looks around her to see if someone will come up and admit to leaving the message for her, but no one does. She carefully places the dark red heart between some pages in her book, and then grabs her lunch, and begins to walk to the cafeteria. Not once does she notice, standing down the other side of the hallway, Terry McGinnis' anxious face change to hopefulness when she keeps the paper heart.

She doesn't mention the heart to anyone sitting at her lunch table, because she's not sure what to make of the valentine, and because it's kind of fun having a secret that no one else knows. At the end of the day she gathers her things and waits for one of her parents to come and pick her up. Walking down the steps, Dana sees that Terry is also waiting for a ride too. She's not too sure what she thinks of Terry McGinnis. They're not friends, but they're not enemies either. They use to play together as children, but that was before she thought boys were gross and now, well, boys were still obnoxious, and yet, she can't deny that Terry has the nicest blue eyes in the whole school. HOWEVER, that in no way, shape, or form, means that she likes/has a crush on Terry.

Okay, maybe she has a tiny, miniscule one.

She stands off to the side a bit, but he turns around and walks over to her before she can decide if this is a good thing. They exchange hellos and make some small talk before Dana gets a call from her father telling her that his meeting is running late, while Terry's mother calls to apologize. Apparently, there was a mix-up and both parents thought the other was going to get him, and so neither one did. Either way it'll be at least another 10 minutes before they can leave the school grounds, which makes the silence between them seem more than awkward, perhaps that's why Dana decides to tell Terry about the handmade gift she received. She's not really sure why she decides to tell Terry when she wouldn't even hint about it to Blade or Max. Maybe because she knows he won't tease her about it; or maybe because she secretly hopes he'll confess to being the one who gave it to her; but in the end, he only says he thinks the message is a bit odd. She pauses before agreeing with him.

She then turns her head slightly so he won't see her blush, because while she does think the message is a little weird; she also thinks it's a little sweet too, not like she'll admit that in front of Terry though. However, this also means that she doesn't see how his face drops slightly when she agrees with his assessment of the valentine, nor does she notice the way his eyes brighten when she confesses that she still would like to know who gave her the valentine so she can thank whomever, because even if she doesn't quite understand the sentiment, she admires the person for taking the time to make something real instead of just going on the Net and sending her something through cyberspace.

They fall into silence again for a while, and then she turns again to look at him because she sees his mother's car and is about to say good-bye when it happens.

He leans over to kiss her on the cheek before running to his mother's car yelling, "Happy Valentine's Day, Dana." It is the first time she really notices how cute he looks when he smiles.

It's her first kiss and deep down she knows that Terry McGinnis spells trouble for her, and she's reading too much into that kiss, and in the end, she doesn't care, because she doesn't have a tiny crush on him.

She has a huge crush on Terry McGinnis.

* * *

_Jadeling's Notes: By the way, I got the idea of the title from another show I'd watch. Take a guess where._


	2. Age 14

_Disclaimer: I don't own **Batman Beyond **or any of the characters from that series. They are the property of DC comics and WB animation, Bob Kane is the original creator of Batman and Bruce Wayne. I'm not making any money off of this work; I write for the enjoyment of others and for myself._

_Author's Notes: Thanks to ShadowHawk and persian85033 for review. To answer some questions, this is fic takes place at 2 year intervals at, in my opinion, significant points in Dana's and Terry's relationship. The first chapter is how Terry first appears on Dana's radar so to speak. I think the subject of this chapter is fairly obvious once you start reading. Enjoy!  
_

**Uncertainty**

If her father knows what she's contemplating he'll probably not only lock her in her room, but also pull her Net privileges. Still, Dana thinks she's out of her mind and yet somehow she finds herself lying to her father and telling him that she needs to go to the library early the next morning even though it's a Saturday, and no one goes to the public library anymore since everything is on the Net now.

She frowns as she remembers how rude Terry had been the weeks before he got caught; how he'd blow her off to go hang out with Charlie and the guys. How they got into a fight when she voiced her concerns about what he was doing after school with "the boys." First, he got defensive; telling her that it was a way to blow off steam; it was all just a bit of fun and no one got hurt, so why worry. He also stated that she didn't understand how he was feeling; she begged him to explain, but even then he became evasive and she wasn't kind either. In the end, he wound up getting angry, yelled at her to back off, that she'd never understand what he was going through. When she threatened to leave; he responded with his own brand of venom before storming off, "Go ahead, go run to Daddy; it's what you're good at." At the time, she was too angry and too hurt to go after him.

Dana knows that his parents' separation and divorce affects him more than he is willing to admit. Heck, essentially his world breaks apart, while hers remains the same. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that he's hurt and confused, and that in a way he _is_ right when he says she can't understand. It also makes sense that he starts to hang out with Charlie since Charlie is older, cooler, and also comes from a broken home, but at the same time so do more than half of the students at Hamilton, and not all of them are in gangs. When she's honest with herself, she acknowledges what truly makes her upset. That while everything around him was in chaos; she wasn't his safe place to go to, to confide in. Instead, he found that from someone else, and that hurts her much more than any of his hateful words. In her mind, she knows that she's being a little too harsh on herself, she's only 14, how flipping wise/comforting can she be, but that doesn't stop her from beating herself up when she's alone at the computer lab reading over his e-mails telling her how sorry he is for all the crazy things he did, and how stupid he is for even going out that night.

They haven't officially broke up, but they haven't forgiven each other either when he got caught with Charlie and the others. Her mother is sympathetic to his plight, while her father just rants about how Terry is trouble, though she can't remember her father saying anything before Terry got thrown into juvie. She doesn't argue with him about it anymore since she knows he'll just become angrier, harsher, and demand she not see Terry when he gets out. He already forbids her from e-mailing him at home, so it's a good thing that he can't doesn't know she e-mails him from the school computer lab, or from friends' houses instead. Actually, it's an e-mail she receives on Wednesday morning that causes her current anxiety.

_I'm not sure if you've been keeping track, but I'm suppose to get out on Saturday. My dad is coming to pick me up and it would be nice if I could see you. If you want to. ~Terry._

If she wants to see him? No, because she writes, "I miss you;" at the end of every e-mail as a joke. Terry McGinnis is an idiot if he thinks she's so shallow that she'd dump him after a three month stint in juvie because he made a mistake when he was stupid and confused.

On the other hand, maybe he's trying to tell her that he doesn't want to be with her anymore. Perhaps his time away made him realize that he doesn't care for her like she cares for him? Maybe his experience in juvie has changed him so much, that he thinks she won't accept him anymore. She keeps thinking of other reasons for his cryptic message, before shaking her head. Yes, his time at Gotham Juvenile Hall probably has changed him in ways she can't and won't see immediately, but then again, she's not quite the same girl he kissed on the cheek two years ago either. Now all she has to do is find the courage to complete her plan for tomorrow.

She waits for her father to turn a corner after he drops her off at the public library before rushing to the nearest tram stop, constantly checking her watch, and praying she won't get to her real destination too late. Twenty minutes and one transfer later, she's only a couple of blocks from Warren McGinnis' new apartment, and she see the red-haired man descending from his building and walking towards his car. Running towards him, she calls out his name twice before he turns around and sees her.

"Dana, what are you doing? Do your parents know you're here?"

His frown makes her pause for just a moment, "I just, I mean, well, Terry's getting out today, and he told me that you'd be picking him up, and well, I," she hates that she's babbling in front of Mr. McGinnis, but at least he has stop frowning at her. In fact, she thinks he's giving her a small smile. "I want to go with you; if that's all right?" she asks, her voice hesitant.

His smile widens as he answers, "That's more than all right, come on; we don't want to be late."

She grins and nods as she enters the passenger seat in the front, "Thank you."

"No, Dana, thank you. It's good to know that Terry still has friends like you."

* * *

_Jadeling's Notes: I figured since Dana remembers Charlie "Big Time" Bigelow that Terry and Dana may have been together at the time as well._


	3. Age 16

_Disclaimer: I don't own **Batman Beyond **or any of the characters from that series. They are the property of DC comics and WB animation, Bob Kane is the original creator of Batman and Bruce Wayne. I'm not making any money off of this work; I write for the enjoyment of others and for myself._

_Author's Notes: Hey, I got new reviewers! Hi sanchan and Sayuki12, and yes, I think young Dana and Terry are uber cute as well, and wonder why there aren't more fics featuring them wondering around here. Although, don't get my muse started. She's already so behind on too many fics as is. I thought I'd upload this early because of the weekend and all...have fun!**  
**_

**Aftermath**

She finishes answering the EMT's questions as they treat her burns when she sees Terry. She knows she should be furious at him for standing her up again. She knows she should tell him that they're through, and she doesn't want to see him again. She knows if she doesn't end this relationship, he'll do it again; he'll continue to stand her up; and she deserves better. Unfortunately, her mind keeps harping about one small detail.

Even after what she just went through, she still feels safest when he's holding her. She ends up running to him, telling him to shut up while he's trying to apologize.

They don't talk much during the trip back to her house; though she notices he's driving Mr. Wayne's car. Dana idly asks if it's all right for him to be using the boss' car when he's not working; he only replies that he really doesn't care. She doesn't know why, but his response makes her a little better. When they get to her house, he has to leave her again; but this time, it's because of her father's wrath, not hers. He just tells her he'll see her soon. She wants to tell him not to go, to hold her, but just nods as he goes back into Mr. Wayne's car.

After reassuring her parents that she's physically fine, and a trip to the hospital would be a waste of time and money, they finally allow her to retreat into her bedroom to rest. Now that she is safe, her adrenaline levels are returning to normal. Dana finally notices how incredibly tired she is after she takes a shower and changes into some shorts and a t-shirt she stole from Terry. She honestly attempts to sleep; yet every time she closes her eyes, she sees those damn rats coming towards and remembers Patrick's order to kill her. She can hear that tapping noise, like a hundred fingers typing on a keyboard, they make as they scurry about her; she only opens her eyes again. She repeats the cycle at least 5 times before she realizes she's not going to fall asleep anytime soon, so she turns the light back on and grabs her favorite book and starts to re-read it.

She gets through the first two chapters before she begins to hear a tapping noise from her window and for an instant she fears that Patrick has survived the explosion and has followed her home. Dana cautiously places a well worn and folded paper heart into her book before grabbing another heavy book. Then she pulls her drapes back to reveal an anxious looking Terry perched near her window. Her eyes widen as she quickly drops the book and opens the window for him. She asks him why he's there, to which he explains he thought she might have trouble sleeping as he sneaks into her room. His response does something within her because her legs won't support her weight anymore, and only his quick reflexes prevent her from falling to the floor. He carries her to her bed, lays her down gently before sitting down besides her.

She's trying her best to not cry because her parents will hear and come into the room to see if she's all right. So, she turns on her television instead and turns the volume up a bit so the two of them can talk without being disturbed. Terry attempts to apologize again for not being there to protect her, to which she replies he had no way of knowing what Patrick was going to do, instead of reminding him that she suppose to be furious at him. She also points out if he had been there then he could have been hurt by Patrick's giant rats as well. He looks unconvinced by that remark, but he lets it slide as she cuddles closer to him.

How long they stay like that, she's not sure, but slowly she notices how lethargic she feels and how heavy her eyes are. It's then that the fear beings to creep back into her mind and she struggles to stay awake again. Her movements must have alerted him to her distress, because he pulls one of her hands into his own, and moves her head a little closer to his heart, before telling her that she's safe and he won't leave her until she sleeps. She tells him she'd rather he stay the night, but they both know if her parents catch him in her room, it would make an already volatile situation worse. She relaxes a little to his words as her mind focuses on the beating of his heart. Its rhythm is slow and steady, and she soon finds her own breathing beginning to echo his chest's rise and fall. She closes her eyes so she doesn't see him noticing her book or the bookmark in its pages. She never sees his eyes widen in recognition when he realizes what he has in his hands; nor does she see the small satisfied smirk gracing his lips as he places it back in the book. She doesn't see the happy smile he gives her when he looks down back on her face, but she _does_ hear and remember the remark he whispers as she drifts into a dreamless sleep.

"You're still the air that I breathe, Dana."

* * *

_Jadeling's Notes: Okay, so my choices for this chapter were the time Dana got injured because of the Jokerz or when she got kidnapped by Patrick. I hope you all enjoyed my choice. Remember Reviews keep fics alive and feed my ego. Wow, I'm halfway through this fic. I may actually finish, *Gasps* that's shocking for me. Hope to hear from you all soon!_

_PS. Really, has no one figured out where the title comes from? If some one get it before I post the next chappy after the weekend, they get a cameo in the fic....how's that for incentive?  
_


	4. Age 18

_Disclaimer: I don't own **Batman Beyond **or any of the characters from that series. They are the property of DC comics and WB animation, Bob Kane is the original creator of Batman and Bruce Wayne. I'm not making any money off of this work; I write for the enjoyment of others and for myself._

_Author's Notes: All right, this is a very short chappy, and I'll admit it's my least favorite in this series. On the other hand...I think it's one a really good turning point for the character too.**  
**_

**Revelations.**

Her father announces two months before graduation that her parents decided to volunteer her services as a camp counselor at her old summer camp. She knows it's an effort to keep her apart from Terry, and it annoys her because they shouldn't have bothered. Terry had already informed her of Mr. Wayne's intention to oversee various projects at Wayne-Powers all over the country. He'll be busy traveling/working the entire summer.

The knowledge that Terry will be gone doesn't upset her as much as she thought it would. In fact, she's actually happy for him, because even she understands this move lets the business world know that Terry is a potential successor for the old man, and it's a huge opportunity for Terry. On the other hand, she knows she'll miss him while he's away.

Helping to set up the camp turns out to be a good thing, since she's too busy during the day to really miss him. It's only at night as she reads his e-mails, when the longing surfaces. Within in the first week she meets the other counselors; a bunch of them also are former attendees, whom she remembers from past years, while there are others who are new to the facility. An example is David, and while the other girls whisper about how schay his blue eyes are, she just shakes her head, because they're not in the same class as Terry's.

For the next two weeks, David and she work side by side quite often, she doesn't notice anything odd about his behavior until Sandy, one of her charges; announces that he likes Dana and thinks she's really pretty. She realizes the times he's helped her with carrying some of the more cumbersome items like the canoes or other equipment he'd only help her. He always smiles when she's around, and whenever she stays to clean up after the kids, he stays behind too. By the end of the month, she quickly realizes other things about him as well. Like he when he makes a commitment to his friends and her to hang out one Saturday night, he keeps it, unlike Terry. The one time he isn't able to join them for karaoke he calls them in advance, also unlike Terry. Hell, the fact that he is willing to do karaoke in the first place is also very unlike Terry. He's great with the kids, has a awesome sense of humor, and like the other girls pointed out, is very good looking. When she's with him, Dana is a bit ashamed to admit that she doesn't miss Terry as much, because David is fun to hang out with.

Still, she writes to Terry every week; dutifully telling him about what she's been doing, some of the stories about her girls, and she also ends each message with an "I miss you." His e-mails are often somewhat terse, but Terry does tend to send them out semi-regularly. They range from complaining about Mr. Wayne and his "impossible" standards, to photos of the places he's been, to general ramblings. He ends each e-mail the same, with an "I miss you, more." She feels mixed emotions every time she sees that line; she feels bad for him because he's probably a little miserable and lonely like her. On the other hand, she feels kind of giddy _because_ he's probably a little miserable and lonely, _just_ like her.

It isn't until David tries to kiss her that she realizes that somehow the line between friendship and crush has been crossed. It's also then when she realizes that she didn't cross it. She does accept his help with a smile and a "thanks", but those smiles aren't any different than the ones she gives to the other members of the faculty. She never initiates any of the nightly activities like karaoke or clubbing, those are done by other counselors, and they always go as a group. She doesn't single him out when they're in a group either; she usually stays with other people. Counselors, who are separated from their significant others as well; in fact, they all tend to exchange "war stories" so to speak. Hence, she knows he aware that she has a boyfriend, since she gets teased about how goofy her face looks when she receives an e-mail from Terry.

She meets a really nice, great guy and she's not interested. She doesn't encourage his attentions, doesn't flirt back with him, at least not consciously, and reminds him on a fairly regular basis that she with someone. This is when Dana comes to another realization. She's not attracted to David, because he **isn't** Terry, and this discovery leads to another more dangerous one.

She is in love with Terry McGinnis…

And it scares the hell out of her.

* * *

_Jadeling's Notes: sanchan was the only reviewer to take a guess about the title; I know it's kind of obscure, but no one else was curious? *Sigh* I'll tell you all at the end of this fic. then. Any whoo, I was trying to find a fic where Dana finally realizes she loves Terry, and me remembering the day I realized I was in love with my boyfriend. _

_I don't know about you guys, but when I finally realized I was in love; it scared the sh**t out of me, because neither of us had actually said those little words to each other yet. So I kind of figured that Dana would be feeling the same way too. _

_Next chappy....Dana finds out what Terry really does for Bruce Wayne. Should be fun!  
_


	5. Age 20

_Disclaimer: I don't own **Batman Beyond **or any of the characters from that series. They are the property of DC comics and WB animation, Bob Kane is the original creator of Batman and Bruce Wayne. I'm not making any money off of this work; I write for the enjoyment of others and for myself._

_Author's Notes: I was totally willing to wait a week and even then I thought I'd split this chapter into two parts, before uploading it. Then I thought that would be cruel and unusual. Let's see; there's some minor spoliers for **Return of the Joker**, and **Epilogue** if you squint. I also figured that during his tenure as Batman, the Batmobile probably has gotten some modifications like more room for possible passengers (it'll make sense at the end of the chappy.) Take note of the rating since there are implied sexual situations, what do you expect, they're 20 now. Anyway, Enjoy!_

**Secrets and Decisions**

Somehow, she doubts this is the way he wants to tell her he is the Batman, if he ever intended to tell her at all.

To be honest, Dana didn't suspect anything until a couple of months ago. He left her apartment in a hurry late one night, and the next morning she learns that Batman stopped the latest incarnation of the Royal Flush Gang. Terry doesn't say or do anything to make her suspicious. It's the bruises on his back. They are in the same area Batman would have bruises after the landing on some chairs when the robot, Ace, tossed him through a restaurant window. Granted the bruises don't look serious, and she first dismisses them, but then other things begin to creep through her mind.

For example, whenever they witness some serious trouble with Jokerz or some other villains, Terry always seem to disappear among the general chaos and Batman appears soon after. She also remembers the first appearance of the Tomorrow Knight occurs after a 20 year absence, starting when Bruce Wayne finally allows a merger with Derek Powers and ending after Terry's father passes away. It can't really be a coincidence that Batman's reemergence also occurs around just as Terry begins to work for Mr. Wayne, and the old man returns to oversee his company. Plus, that summer Terry spent with Mr. Wayne going all over the country; there was an increase of Batman sightings working with the Justice League then as well.

His body is different too. Terry was always athletic even when they were children, and that continued into their teen years. Hell, it was part of the reason why she was so attracted to him, but even she would have to be blind not to see the way his body has changed over the years. He was leaner and he seemed lither when they were younger; now, he has more muscle on his upper body; but is still very agile considering how quickly he caught up to his younger brother after Matt cracked some joke about him last week. Dana knows he hasn't participated in any competitive sports since Nelson got him kicked off the wrestling team in high school. She's also pretty sure he hasn't joined any athletic/bodybuilding clubs either. He's probably at peak physical condition; and she's left with one question; why does he need to be?

He also never spends the entire night at her place, not once. She admits she doesn't feel comfortable staying over in Terry's room at Wayne Manor; the idea of having the weird morning-after conversation with Mr. Wayne freaks her out more than she's willing to say. On the other hand, she rents a one bedroom apartment near campus where they seem to spend most of their time at, when they're not studying/cramming for class. It doesn't matter if it's 11at night, and he receives a call from the old man; or if it's 2 in the morning, and they've been cuddling for the past 30 minutes because they've been busy doing other things in her bed earlier. He's always gone before sunrise, and it kind of bothers her.

However, what really clinches it occurred only two days ago. They are at her place when she grabs him by the arm to lead him to dinner, and he suddenly flinches from her touch. She frowns because she knows his body better than anyone, besides himself, and he was fine the night before when they went out to see a movie. Before he has a chance to say anything she has her hand around his wrist and pulls up his sleeve to reveal a rather nasty welt snaking up his arm. It's similar to what one expects if his/her arm got caught by a whip, and it's exactly the type of injury the Batman sustained while fighting Inque early this morning, according to the news footage they just watched, curtsey of a public security cam.

She gives him one look before telling him in a very quiet and calm tone that if he's not completely honest with her then they're through before asking if he's Batman.

She really hoped he would say "no."

Dana knows Terry is desperately trying to explain himself, his reasons for his secrecy, but in the end, all she can think about is how hurt she feels, because once again he felt like he couldn't confide in her, trust her with his secret/burden. It's like she's fourteen again, and she doesn't like it. She tells him that she needs to be alone for a while to think and she believes it'll be best if he left.

The truth is she just doesn't want him to see her cry.

Five days later, she still doesn't know what she should do. There is also a small detail of their six year anniversary coming up next week. Four of which he has spent being someone else and she had no clue. Somehow that just doesn't seem to bode well for their relationship. She knows and understands that by staying with him there are issues concerning both her family and her safety. Dana still remembers when Jokerz attacked both of them at a club four years back and how guilty Terry felt afterwards. At the time, she didn't understand his feelings; now she is beginning to comprehend some of the fear he lives with every time he puts the suit on. It doesn't change the fact that he lied to her for all of these years; no matter how well his intentions, she can't help but wonder what other things he has kept from her. She doesn't know if she can forgive him so easily.

She has spent the last couple of minutes staring at a very well worn red paper heart which has been torn and repaired in numerous places over the years. Part of her mind keeps listing reasons to leave him, while the other part tells her not to because even though Terry has lied to her, stood her up over the years, and has inadvertently placed her in danger, there is one thing she can't deny. She's been miserable and incredibly lonely for the past five days without him. Making a decision, she gets up and walks out of her apartment; determined to find some sort of resolution tonight.

After a quick call, she's waiting on a bridge in Gotham Park going over her mental list when she sees him. Even from a distance she can tell he hasn't been doing well; though whether it's because of their time apart, or if it's because he has had a rough couple of nights patrolling; she doesn't know. It's a little past midnight when they meet; so though the park is still well lit, the bridge is empty; and they don't have to worry about eavesdroppers. When he is closer she notices his ice blue eyes are glassy and dull, and she immediately worries if he's been getting enough sleep. Her reaction reassures her that she's making the right decision.

"Just because I'm talking to you doesn't mean I forgive you." She tells him, and his shoulders drop at her tone. She mentally winces at how harsh she sounds, but continues because if she stops now, she doesn't think she'll be able to have this conversation again. "I'm still furious at you, McGinnis, but that doesn't mean I'm willing to throw away six years of our lives because of this."

She pauses before starting again, her tone still calm, but she's lost the harshness. "I have a list of questions/requests; you don't have to agree to any of them. However, by refusing any of them tells me that we both will need to reevaluate what want from this relationship, Terry." He still hasn't really looked at her until now; his face a mix of sadness and curiosity.

"Bruce Wayne, he was the original Batman wasn't he?" He nods again, and so many things about that relationship begin to make sense. "I want a key to the Manor, since I'm assuming you have a base of operations there." For a moment it looks like he's going to protest so she elaborates, "I'm not saying I want to be informed on every case you work on or insist on seeing it now, but if there's a major crisis, I'd think the Manor would be the safest place for me to go to, right?" He raises an eyebrow at her before nodding again. "I won't bitch about you missing dates, family events, group activities, or holidays any more, but if you EVER miss our anniversary or my birthday, because of Bat business; I better be getting a call from Mr. Wayne telling me that you're dealing with a 'major end of the world' type disaster."

"Wait a minute, you're not insisting I quit?" He questions.

For the first time in five days she smiles a little. "Well, that would be kind of futile don't you think? You've been doing this for the past four years; it's a part of who you are now. If I'd ask you to quit it'll be like asking you to split your soul in half. I think we both know you wouldn't do it or if you tried to you'd be miserable. I can't say that I agree or understand exactly why you do it, nor can I say that this relationship will survive now that I know, but we'll take it day by day."

He closes his eyes before turning so his back is against the rail. "There are risks you know, if anyone figures out who I am; what you mean to me-'

"It's been four years," she counters; "besides that time with the Jokerz; nothing major has ever happened to me because of your identity. Besides the choice to face those risks is mine; I think that's part of the reason why I'm so mad at you. You may have wanted to protect me, but you were denying me the chance to make that choice. It still made me a target, except I was ignorant of it, which probably put me in more danger because I wouldn't expect someone to come after me to get to you. At least now, I can take some precautions to protect myself." She pauses again, this time to face him, "Besides, Terry, this is Gotham, just by getting up and going outside everyday puts me in some type of danger."

"It doesn't mean I have to like it."

"How do you think I feel knowing you're going off every night chasing down every psychopath that appears in this city?" He tilts his head towards her acknowledging her point. "Oh, and there's one last thing." She can tell he is bracing himself for something unpleasant. "Our anniversary is next week. I plan to wear that black Lana Lang dress you like so much; I expect us to go somewhere nice, and _don't_ even think about calling me to say you're going to be late." She can tell he doesn't expect to get off so easily so she raises an eyebrow to let him know she's not above changing her mind.

For the first time since they started talking to each other he smiles. "Anniversary dinner, don't be late. I can do that." He responds before taking her hand into his as they begin to walk off the bridge and out of the park. "By the way, you do know the reason why I like that dress so much is because I enjoy taking it off of you." He whispers into her ear.

She smirks, "First, let's see how well you do with our anniversary; though I will admit, I'm not above a little bribery, McGinnis."

*******

He ends up giving her a silver charm bracelet; one of the charms is a silver batarang; and he takes her up into the Batmobile to show her Gotham from his point of view at night.

Bruce doesn't see Terry again until mid-morning the next day. He's wearing a slightly rumpled tux and a goofy/smug grin on his face.

* * *

_Jadeling's Notes: This is one of my favorite to write. I hope that Dana doesn't seem too out of character, but I don't know. I purposely didn't want to do the whole, "I can't believe you didn't tell me you're Batman" argument/fight, because it seems like such a cliche thing to do, nor did I want the whole, "I think that it's cool you're Batman," reaction either. That's Max's department. The inspiration to her reaction was kind of how I felt when my boyfriend told me he was seeing someone else for about a month while we were together. Granted, it was only a month compared to 4 years of straight lying, but one of the reasons why I was willing to work it out with him was because we had been together for over 3 years, and we were friends for longer. I had to decide if his mistake was worth tossing aside 3 years of my life. I felt like Dana would think the same way. _

_Hey, you all see that little purple button down there....you should all click on it and tell me if you like/hate my writing. Just a suggestion ;)_

_PS. sanchan, how's that for a longer chapter?  
_


	6. Age 22

_Disclaimer: I don't own **Batman Beyond **or any of the characters from that series. They are the property of DC comics and WB animation, Bob Kane is the original creator of Batman and Bruce Wayne. I'm not making any money off of this work; I write for the enjoyment of others and for myself._

_Author's Notes: All right, last chapter! Wow, I actually completed a multi-chapter fic on this site? Shocking. Anyway...Thanks to all of you who reviewed including new reviewers Kairan1979 and Maid of the Mer. I've gotten some questions about how Dana would react to Terry and Ten, or Merina, to be honest, while I thought about her reaction to those too; I've always wondered how she'd react to finding out Terry took the eggbaby out on a case and that's how he passed family studies.....hmmmm....crap, I sense another fanfic in the works. A special shout out to juhfreak (J'Freak) on youtube for making that awesome Terry and Dana music vid done to Skillet's **Will You Be There?** It's the main inspiration of this fic._

_Second, the title comes is from a quote from the show **Andromeda** made by Kevin Sorbo's character to Lexa Doig's in the episode "Day of Judgement, Day of Wrath." A brief explanation of the quote, Dylan (Kevin), is a captain of a warship; and Rommie (Lexa) is the ship's AI (she controls the ship's functions); and she has a physical android body as well. In the episode, Rommie has to be replaced by another avatar, and when she gets back she asks Dylan how he liked working with the other AI. Dylan stars saying how great he is until he notices Rommie looking upset and then tells her that the other avatar wasn't like her, because she, "Is the air that I breathe." Once again, you can youtube that too.  
_

_Third, I figure that in the DC Animated Future; medical advances make it possible for people with broken bones to be healed faster. Heck, they make clones in the present, healing some bones should be easy. Fourth, the catcus lily called the "Queen of the Night," is one of my favorite flowers, and is a huge white bloom, which only blooms for one night. If you google it, you can find some great photos of it. It also is a very fragrant bloom.  
_

_I have more notes, but they'd give away the rest of the chapter, so I'll tell you at the end.  
_

**Coming Full Circle.**

She gets to leave the hospital tomorrow.

Three weeks ago, she's waiting for Terry at one of their favorite restaurants when he calls her telling her he won't be able to make it. He just tells her he'll meet her later. She knows better than to argue, especially when he tells her to go to the Manor. She's half way to her car when all hell breaks loose. Big Time, no, Charlie, escaped from prison and his first thoughts were about revenge. Revenge on the Batman, whom he blames for his problems instead of taking responsibility for his choices, not Terry. However, seeing her was just too good of an opportunity to waste. Turns out Charlie isn't above tormenting old acquaintances.

He knocks her unconscious before she can scream for help, and she wakes up some time later with both a headache and an ache in her arms. She realizes she's aboard an antiquated and abandoned oil rig; her body suspended high above the Atlantic. She doesn't remember much from high school physics, but even she knows if she's falls, it doesn't matter that she'll fall into the water. The force of impact will kill her unless she can find some way or something to slow her descent. Dana remembers Charlie bragging about something as the equipment holding her moves her higher, but to be honest she was more worried about Terry's state of mind to pay much attention to his words. She remembers hearing a high whining noise, before seeing Batman launching himself at Charlie. The rest is extremely fuzzy, and she thinks that's probably a good thing.

She wakes up three days later to find out she broke both her right arm and leg, cracked two ribs, had a concussion, and various other internal injuries. She's told by the university that her grades are good enough so she doesn't have to worry about taking her finals in order to graduate; which isn't quite how she wanted to get her degree, but she'll take it. Her parents are just grateful that she's alive and she'll fully recover from her injuries, while Chelsea and Blade come over to gush over how Batman saved her. When Max comes to visit; they talk about other things except why Terry hasn't come to see her. Mrs. McGinnis and Matt come to see her, each time very apologetic for not being able to convince another family member to come.

What none of them know is that he does visit. Dana suspects he comes every night; he just does it when she's not awake. She first realizes it when she recognizes the scent of an Epiphyllum Oxypetalum, commonly known as the "Queen of the Night," in her room. The flower blooms at night, for one night only, before closing in the morning. It's also her favorite; and she sees a new closed bloom every morning. The first week she's always too tired to be awake when he comes. It isn't until the second week when she's finally able to stay semi-conscious long enough to feel his hand in hers; to hear him whisper her name. By this week he must be monitoring her vitals, because he definitely only comes once she's dead to the world, since it's only the lingering scent of the flower that tells her he's come to see her. She knows better than to believe he doesn't care for her, but these nightly visits aren't really cutting it anymore.

She's contemplating different ways to confront him once she leaves the hospital when she receives a new visitor, Bruce Wayne. It does not surprise her that he comes when visiting hours are officially over, nor does it surprise her to learn that Terry is unaware he's there either. He doesn't try to explain or excuse the younger man's actions; instead, he tells her what exactly occurred during her rescue.

After realizing Charlie kidnapped her, Terry quickly activated the locating chip embedded in the batarang charm he gave her two years ago; something she suspected, but never asked about. Terry actually made it to her location in less than an hour after her abduction before going against his former friend. At some point Terry incapacitated Charlie, and was in the process of lowering her slowly back to solid ground when the mutated human attempted to sneak up on him. According to the older man, her shriek gave Terry enough time to counter Charlie's attack against him, but he couldn't prevent Charlie from breaking the controls causing her descent speed to increase to dangerous levels. Bruce calmly tells her Terry had less than a minute to figure out how to slow her descent before she crashed into the water. He used a couple of batarangs to cut her from the cable while using a couple of the grappling ones to grab her body which did manage to slow her down, but couldn't stop her from hitting the ocean causing the majority of her injuries. In addition, Charlie managed to use the time to get away.

Bruce explains that Terry made an error in judgment; he didn't fully check up on Charlie before attempting to help her. His mistake nearly caused her death and allowed a dangerous man to elude him. It doesn't matter that she survived, or Terry managed to catch up and capture Charlie some nights later. Terry won't stop focusing on his error, and Dana can tell his behavior worries Bruce more than he's willing to say. She asks the older man why he's telling her all of these things. Bruce remains silent for a while before getting up to leave, and she honestly thinks he won't answer her. He's halfway to the door and speaks so softly she almost doesn't hear him, "Terry brought you to the hospital, not Batman, and for the first two days he wouldn't leave your side. He only left because I found information about Big Time's whereabouts. You have a decision to make, Dana; you need to know the facts. He usually begins his patrols around midnight."

* * *

The casts come off before she gets to leave the hospital, but her leg is still too weak to support her weight, so she gets Max to drive her to the Manor at 12:30. Bruce's dog, Ace, greets her at the door before leading her to the older man. It's very dark so she's not sure, but she thinks his eyes become a little softer than normal, before he tells her he's going to the cave to check in with Terry. Though on crutches, she manages to get to Terry's room, but the trek is more tiring than expected, and she ends up falling asleep on his bed with Ace sitting by it as if standing guard.

For a person trained to be stealthy, he still makes too much noise for Ace not to notice. She wakes to see Terry attempting to stop Ace from nuzzling her hand to get her up. She'd smile if he didn't look so grim. Once the canine realizes Dana is awake, he trots his way out of the room, as if sensing the tension in the room. Terry isn't happy she's there and plainly tells her she should go. She tells him to make her. He only looks at her like she's grown another head, before he tells her he's not joking, stating that being with him is too dangerous, and he was a fool for thinking their relationship would work. Terry starts going on about how she'd be better off, happier without him, citing the fact Charlie abducted her because he knew how much she meant to Terry. He asks her to imagine what would happen if someone like Inque found out her connection to Batman. He keeps talking, but at that point she's not really listening anymore.

Dana knows what he's doing. He's trying to push her out of his life because he thinks it'll be best for her. As if she could be happier without him. He's making that clichéd gesture of sacrificing his happiness to protect her, and if she was 12 she'd mistake it as grand, romantic, and noble, but she's old enough to recognize it for what it is presumptuous, arrogant, and idiotic. She so furious at him she yells out the first thing that comes to her mind, "You stupid jackass!"

She doesn't remember when she started to cry, but she becomes aware of the wetness on her cheeks when she stands to confront him. She begins to pound on his chest. "Don't you understand, don't you get what you mean to me? Don't you think I need you too, why can't you see?" She cries, her tears a mixture of anger and sadness. Dana can tell from his reaction, he really has no clue. "You're the air that I breathe too, damn it;" she finishes desperately, sinking to her knees. He doesn't say anything to her words and she finds herself realizing he may never say anything. She's beginning to think that maybe she should just leave, because maybe it's just not worth trying to fight for their relationship if he won't fight for them either.

Dana begins to grope for her crutches, but Terry's by her side before she gets finds them. It's the first time she sees how exhausted he is; how red and bloodshot his eyes are, and she realizes he's been crying too. She reaches up to touch his face, and he turns his head slightly so he's kissing the palm of her hand before pulling her against him to kiss her shoulder, her neck, then her lips. His kisses are gentle, a little tentative; but there is an underlying passion to them. When he begins to move them to his bed, she finds herself responding to his ardor just as passionately.

Later, when they can both see the moon from his window; he asks her if she still has that valentine he gave her so many years ago.

Her smile is the only answer he needs.

* * *

_Jadeling's Notes: And it's done! Once again, thanks to all of you for reading and reviewing and putting up with my writing._

_I hope that Bruce didn't come off to out of character. I figured by this point he knows that Terry is his son; and he recognizes what Terry is doing because he did it himself years ago. I think Bruce is the type of person who won't admit to regrets even if he has them and I do think he regrets being so old and alone. I don't think he wants that for his son; but he's not willing to just say that either. By going to Dana and telling her the details of her kidnapping, he's giving her a choice. If she didn't come to the manor, then Terry is better off without her, but since she did, Bruce knows that maybe his son won't turn out like him._

_Also, I was wondering if any one noticed that neither Dana or Terry ever say "I love you," to each other? That was on purpose, and that was the other reason for the title **The Air that I Breathe**, I wanted a to see if I could write a romantic fic, where you can tell that the two main characters love each other without saying the those exact words. Granted at the beginning of the fic, they a little too young to use those words in a romantic sense, but in the later chapters they could have. I think the phrase "the air that I breathe," worked because it conveys the so much, like the words "I love you" can and a little more._

_Well, that's it! Hope you all liked the ending, and if this fic inspires some more Dana/Terry fics, then mission accomplished. I'll see you around the site!  
_


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